The Virtual Viper
by DragonShadow
Summary: As a new computer system becomes popular around Townsville, Blossom thinks she's beginning to lose her mind. Could they be connected somehow?
1. Chapter 1

The Virtual Viper  
  
The Pokey Oaks Kindergarten class went along as it always did. It was Friday, which meant Show and Tell day. Because the Powerpuff Girls showed their powers every day, they were exempt from showing anything, but the other kids all dreaded it. Except of course for Princess Morebucks, who delighted in bringing the most expensive electronic equipment one could possibly imagine.  
  
Miss Keane looked down at Mike Believe, who was standing at the front of the class holding a small plant. "Thank you very much for that Mike. It was quite educational. I'm sure we all learned something didn't we class?" Miss Keane looked out over the rest of the students, who moaned a soft 'yes' in response. "Next is Princess Morebucks." Miss Keane said with a hint of irritation.  
  
Princess stood up and approached the front of the class, whirling on the other students. "Boys, girls, and teacher. Over the course of the last few weeks I have brought before you marvels of technology. Today I bring you the most powerful computer in the world." Princess clapped her hands together, and a team of half a dozen huge men hauled in a box no bigger than a standard dresser.  
  
"This my simple minded students is it!" Princess grabbed a string hanging off of the box and yanked. The entire box fell open, revealing a large computer with a built in desk and a monitor. The monitor however was attached to a headset instead of the computer itself. "Twin twenty Gigahertz processors power a five hundred Gigabyte Video Card with Hyper-Texture 3D Rendering capabilities, three 100 Gigabyte Hard Drives that spin at 10,000 RPMs, and a Sound Card capable of up to fifty thousand decibels of audio pleasure. AND it automatically backs up all open files if the computer should ever be shut down unexpectedly." She grinned. Blossom raised her hand and stood up. "Yes, peon?"  
  
"Do you actually know what any of that means, or are you repeating an advertising slogan?" Blossom asked. Several students in the classroom started snickering as Princess' entire face turned red from anger.  
  
"It means it beats the crap out of YOUR stupid old computer!" Princess howled. Blossom snickered as she sat back down beside her sisters. "Hmph, now that the peanut brained gallery is seated, I can proceed with the best part." Princess picked up the headset and put it over her eyes. "This thing doesn't even need a keyboard. It's been taught to recognize the firing pattern of the Neurons inside the human brain, to see what thoughts the user is thinking."  
  
"Then how are you going to demonstrate it without any thoughts?" Buttercup yelled impulsively. Half the class busted up laughing, but quickly fell silent when dangerous sparks of electricity raced through Princess' computer.  
  
"Shut up! Now..." Princess sat down and turned the monitor toward the class. "This is me." On the screen was an image of Princess. It was computer rendered, but remarkably lifelike. The only real difference was that her skirt and pigtails didn't bounce or sway as she moved. When she spoke again it was instead the Princess on the monitor talking. [Full Neural interface. In other words... hands free!] Princess laughed.  
  
"This is some trick." Blossom complained. "There isn't a computer in the modern world that could do this. You pre-programmed this fake Princess to make us think you had the best toy." The screen of Princess glared at her like she was coming at her with a red-hot poker.  
  
[Fine then Powerpuff Girl, you want proof, come try it out.] The Princess on the screen faded as Princess pulled the helmet off of her head and stood up. "Come on Blossom, or are you scared?"  
  
"You wish." Blossom floated up to the computer and sat down, staring at the headset. Princess grabbed it and shoved it on her head before she could complain. Her head spun in circles as something plunged inside of it. Her disorientation was only momentary however. She woke up standing in a comfortable looking lobby, with several doors. Each had a computer folder on it with a different label.  
  
"How do you feel Blossom?" Princess asked." Blossom looked up and spotted Princess standing in front of the rest of the class. The computer must have a webcam mounted somewhere where she hadn't been able to spot it before.  
  
[This is pretty amazing...] Blossom admitted, looking around at all the doors. She looked down at the image of her hand, perfectly crafted after her own. The computer must somehow assemble the computer image based on the imprint in the unconscious mind. She didn't think about it too much, or she was afraid her head would explode. [How much is this thing?]  
  
Princess laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. She was still gasping for breath when Blossom pulled the headset off and stood up. "You... think you could buy one... oh that's rich! That bum you call a father couldn't afford this if he saved all the money he'd earned since he was born!" Princess laughed again. When she heard Buttercup growl from her seat however, she grew silent and backed away. Even she wasn't stupid enough to push a Powerpuff Girl too far.  
  
"Now now girls, no need for name calling." Miss Keane stepped between Blossom and Princess, also incidentally getting between Buttercup and Princess. "It's a very impressive computer Princess, but we have other things to study today too. Now both of you girls back to your seats." She pointed at the seats, leaving no room for argument. The two girls sat down, glaring at each other for the rest of the class.  
  
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When class ended the Powerpuff Girls flew away in their typical formation, with Blossoms till fuming. "I can't believe that prissy little..." She barely stopped herself from saying something she shouldn't. "It's not fair that she gets all the expensive stuff."  
  
"Yeah well, them's the breaks." Buttercup grunted. "At least we have something she only WISHES she had."  
  
"Friends?" Bubbles asked.  
  
"Superpowers." Buttercup grinned. "Little bitch couldn't buy herself some of those with all the money in the world." Blossom didn't like the swearing, but the sentiment made her smile. They landed in front of their home and walked inside, calling for the Professor.  
  
"Girls! I'm down here! Come see this!" The Professor called from his basement laboratory. The girls flew down the stairs into the basement, and gasped when they saw the Professor standing in front of a computer identical to Princess'. "Look at this, it's the newest collaboration between me and a whole team of engineers. We've created the first completely virtual reality computer system."  
  
"But Professor, I thought your specialization was genetics, not electronics." Blossom asked. Her sisters didn't seem to care however, floating up to examine the machine.  
  
"They needed me to help crack the Neural Firing Pattern so they could program the computer to recognize the signals." The Professor smiled. "Don't you like it? I'm extremely proud of it... though of course not as much as I am of you girls."  
  
"More geeky mumbo jumbo." Buttercup smirked. "I'm gonna go fix me a ham sandwich." She floated upstairs. Bubbles looked at the clock on the wall and gasped.  
  
"Puppet Pals is coming on!" She streaked upstairs, leaving the Professor alone with Blossom.  
  
"Can I use it Professor? I really wanted to try it out after..." She was cut off by him putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I know it seems fun Blossom... but I don't think it's a good idea. The normal human brain is one thing but you girls are another. It might not work... it could even be dangerous for you." He put his other hand on her other shoulder, staring into her eyes. "Promise me you will never use it, not until I tell you it's safe."  
  
Blossom stared back, shaking slightly. She didn't feel any worse after using Princess' computer, but that didn't mean it didn't affect her. She thought to tell him about what happened at school, but decided not to. She didn't want to worry him, and she felt fine anyway. "Okay Professor, I won't." The Professor smiled and kissed her cheek.  
  
"Come on, we can go out for dinner tonight after we get a few minutes of training done." He stood up and went upstairs to find the other girls. Blossom watched him, then turned to look at the computer. It didn't hurt her before, but she didn't want to push her luck. She turned away and followed the Professor upstairs, trying to take her mind off of it.  
  
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That night Blossom had long managed to take her mind off of the new computers. She didn't feel any ill effects all day aside from almost being knocked out by Buttercup during training. They were in their bedroom, sliding out of their normal dresses and into their nightgowns. Blossom's hair was a mess, one she didn't feel like fixing at the moment, so she let it stay as a tangle surrounding her head.  
  
"Man we need to get a new training simulator. That one's getting too easy." Buttercup flexed her muscles like a bodybuilder before sliding her nightgown on. "I need a challenge to keep improving."  
  
"Maybe you could try mental challenges, so that your brain doesn't go the way of your manners." Blossom suggested innocently. Bubbles giggled, but Buttercup growled and flicked her wrist at Blossom. Lacking fingers to stick up, the wrist flick had become Buttercup's version of the middle finger. Of course only the Powerpuff Girls knew that.  
  
Blossom rolled her eyes and slid her nightgown on just as the Professor entered the room. "Okay girls, climb into bed now." The girls climbed into bed and the Professor tucked them in one by one, kissing their cheeks. "Goodnight Buttercup. Goodnight Blossom. Goodnight Bubbles. Sweet dreams." He smiled and left, closing the door behind him.  
  
Blossom closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing for sleep. The silence was broken only by the steady breathing of her sisters, lulling her into a deep sleep. Her body relaxed to the point of becoming unmovable, and her breath steadied. So she was surprised when she found herself standing in the middle of a crowded beach full of boys in swimming trunks.  
  
She blinked and looked around, thinking it was a dream, but it looked funny. All the figures around her looked like computer imaged. 3D and well modeled, but lacking in the subtle texture of real life people. She looked around in confusion until she spotted Princess lying on a lawn chair with several boys holding trays of food and drinks around her.  
  
[Princess... what...] Blossom couldn't find the words to even ask a simply question. Princess looked over at her and scowled darkly.  
  
[What is THAT doing here? It's not supposed to be part of this program!] She got up and stalked up to Blossom, grabbing her by the hem of her nightgown. She then realized something she apparently hadn't before. [Hey... I never had the scientists program a Blossom model wearing a nightgown. There must be a glitch... ooohhhh I should have known there would be bugs since Bill Gates was involved!]  
  
[Program... what do you mean?] Blossom blurted out confusedly. She was inside a computer? That would explain the less-than-lifelike people, but she didn't remember logging onto any computers. Besides, why would she be in Princess' system instead of the Professor if she DID somehow sleepwalk into it?  
  
[Enough, I'm tired of looking at this fake Blossom.] The Princess character stood still for a moment before the beach vanished, leaving them once again in the file directory. When Princess' attention returned she looked stunned to see Blossom still standing there. [Why aren't you gone!? Ooohhhh I know how to get rid of annoying bugs!] The Princess model disappeared suddenly.  
  
[I'm in a computer... hey wait!] Blossom yelled, but she was too late. Sharp pain went stabbing through her mind as the computer was shut down. Blossom shot up in bed, screaming and clutching her head as if it were splitting in two. Her sisters shot up in bed with her with exclamations of surprise and worry. Her scream must have been pretty loud because the Professor ran into the room.  
  
"Blossom!" The Professor ran to the bed and picked her up, cradling her gently. "Are you okay? What happened?" Blossom opened her eyes, which she now realized were wet with tears of pain. The stabbing pain had faded, but she was left with a dull ache in the back of her mind. "Blossom, say something. Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine..." Blossom shook her head. "It was just a nightmare..."The Professor squeezed her tighter, then set her in her spot on the bed. He ran his hand over her forehead.  
  
"Are you sure? Do you want a drink?" The Professor asked. Blossom shook her head, pulling the covers back over herself. "Okay... I'll see you tomorrow and we can talk about what happened." He kissed her on the forehead and stood up. "Goodnight girls. If anything else happens, let me know immediately." Buttercup and Bubbles nodded.  
  
Blossom closed her eyes, trying to lull herself back to sleep. But it seemed a long ways off after her scare earlier. She had a feeling Buttercup nor Bubbles slept any better than she did. It was dawn before she even managed to get her eyes closed.  
  
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At school the next day everything seemed to be getting back to normal despite the Powerpuff Girls' weariness from lack of sleep. Everything seemed too ordinary to feel like something was really wrong. Blossom noticed that Princess seemed unusually aware of her however. She kept shooting dark glances and glares in her direction. Blossom didn't respond to them. She didn't even know what she would be responding to.  
  
"Now class, I believe Princess has a very special surprise for us all." Miss Keane announced, stepping out of the way to allow Princess to speak. She walked in front of the teacher's desk and cleared her throat.  
  
"As a token of my appreciation for all of my wonderful friends..." She began dictatorially. Instantly Blossom's interest was piqued. Princess had no friends. "I've decided small gifts for everyone in class are in order. So I've decided to give you ALL the new Model 56 Virtual Reality computer systems." She snapped her fingers and a stream of men came pouring into the room, dropping the huge computer's beside every kid in class.  
  
"Your new toy? You're giving it to everybody? What, are they going to explode at midnight or something?" Blossom was instantly suspicious. But nobody else in class seemed to care about the motive.  
  
"You rock Princess!" Mitch cried as he ripped the tarp off of his brand new computer and fingered the helmet eagerly. The rest of the class echoed his sentiment.  
  
"My, such generous gifts!" Miss Keane exclaimed in shock. "You've really learned the value of giving!"  
  
"Giving is one of life's pleasures Miss Keane." Princess said sweetly. "And of course I didn't forget you, our wonderful teacher." She snapped her fingers and one more computer was set beside Miss Keane's desk.  
  
"Am I the only one who smells a big steaming pile of something?" Buttercup mumbled.  
  
"What can we do Buttercup? We can't bust her for giving everyone presents." Blossom grumbled back. "No matter how suspicious it looks. We'll just have to keep an eye out and clean up when she does whatever she's planning to do." She turned to watch the other kids pouring over their computers, studying them intently. "I just hope nobody gets hurt by it."  
  
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After school Blossom and her sisters flew home to find the Professor once again in his basement with the new computer. "Ah, girls. I'm glad you're home. Guess what." He stood up straight, grinning proudly. Blossom walked up to the computer, eyeing it with a pinch of distrust.  
  
"What is it Professor?" Bubbles asked obediently.  
  
"I configured the computer to recognize your unique Neural Firing patterns. You can use the computer network now." He smiled and patted Blossom on the shoulder. "Before you delve into cyberspace though, how about some lunch? I've worked up quite an appetite."  
  
"I'll join you in a minute Professor." Blossom grabbed the helmet. I'm... eager to try it out." She explained. The Professor chuckled and patted her shoulder. She didn't really care to try it, but she knew the other kids' computers would be hooked up by now and she wanted to check on them without arousing suspicion.  
  
"You're just like me when I was your age... well okay, a few years older." The Professor smiled. "Come up when you've gotten acquainted with the new piece of equipment." He went upstairs to fix lunch. Buttercup and Bubbles followed behind him, leaving Blossom alone with the computer. She whirled and sat down, putting on the helmet. She turned on the computer and instantly she was immersed into the computers world.  
  
It was different than she remembered. Instead of the symmetrical room from Princess' computer it looked like a cozy living room. The doors with the files on them now looked like hardwood doors with the names inscribed in fancy gold lettering. Blossom approached the door with the word 'Network' written on it and pushed it open.  
  
A long hallway opened in front of her. There were only a few doors at first, but as she watched more appeared. The other kids must be just getting their computers hooked up to the network. Each door had a last name inscribed on it. She saw Believe, Schnieder, Mitchelson, and to her disgust, Morebucks. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more convenient it seemed.  
  
She moved down the hall toward Princess' door, gripping the door handle. She pushed it open and went inside easily. It too had become the comfortable living room motif. But what happened to the file doors and symmetrical room? Had she been imagining it before?  
  
[Get out of here.] Blossom jumped when she noticed Princess standing right in the middle of the room, watching her. [This is hacking a private computer! I could have you arrested!] She yelled angrily.  
  
[I'll leave when you tell me what the game is.] Blossom stepped inside and approached Princess. [Why give everyone else these computers? What do you get out of it?]  
  
[I get to watch you squirm.] Princess grinned. Blossom was taken aback by this response. [I wanted to watch what you really do to all of your so-called friends.]  
  
[I won't do anything to them! I think you're going crazy.] Blossom smirked.  
  
Princess burst out laughing, holding her stomach. [That's a good one! Hahahahehehe... we'll see who's really going crazy. Or did your little intrusion last night mean nothing to you?] Princess asked slyly. Blossom's eye widened even further. [I can't wait to see what you do when your REAL intentions are broadcast to everyone in Townsville.]  
  
[Enough. I don't have to listen to this madness.] Blossom turned to head back out through the Network door, but Princess grabbed her shoulder.  
  
[We'll see who's really mad, Blossom.] Princess smiled confidently. [And when we do, there will only be one girl left standing. Moi.] With that Princess let her go, watching her leave.  
  
Blossom closed the door behind her, clenching one fist. Princess didn't know what she was talking about. Even if Blossom had more of those weird dreams, she wouldn't hurt anybody in them... would she?  
  
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It was almost midnight as Robin Schnieder climbed down the stairs in her house as silently as she could. Her parents were sound asleep upstairs, as was most of Townsville by now. She normally would have been too, but she had a very special date tonight.  
  
She snuck into the computer room and closed the door firmly behind her. She crept up to the computer and sat down, sliding the helmet over her head. When her model appeared in the game she headed straight for the Network door, heading out and creeping toward the Believe door. She stepped inside and closed it behind her, seeing Mike in the middle of the room.  
  
[Hey, Robin.] Mike blushed. [You look... um... pretty...] He blushed even brighter. Robin giggled and walked further into the room, clutching her hands behind her back.  
  
[These computers really are amazing aren't they?] Robin commented, looking around aimlessly. [It's like we're really here, talking... but we're both still at home... safe at home...] she smiled. Mike blushed even brighter and nodded, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.  
  
[Yeah...] Mike sat down on the fluffy couch that sat in the middle of the room. Robin didn't have one of those in her computer index. Someone must have added it in somehow. Mike gulped and blushed even brighter, looking at her. [So... what should we do?]  
  
Robin smiled and sat beside him, taking his hand. She didn't feel anything physically, but for some reason it was like she was touching him. She couldn't begin to guess how, so she didn't try. [Well you know... we're good friends right? We can show each other everything.] She squeezed his hand gently.  
  
[Of... of course...] Mike smiled back.  
  
Robin smiled and looked down at the sofa. [I want to know what you look like... you know...] She blushed now. [Naked.]  
  
[R... really?] Mike's face turned beet red. She figured he was probably sweating in real life, but the computer didn't sense that particular problem. [I... I do too... you know... with you... I mean...] He stuttered. Robin giggled again and stood up.  
  
[It's okay, I'm just curious. I've never seen a boy before, you know?] She told him. Mike stood up with her, watching her.  
  
[Yeah... I've never seen a girl either.] Mike admitted. [And it's not like these are our real bodies... just fake ones.]  
  
[That's right.] Robin told him. [It's a game. To make us happy.] She said. The only problem with this game was that the computer somehow sensed what they were wearing at the time and imported it into the image. The only way to strip here would be to do it in real life.  
  
[Well... okay...] The Mike model froze, and soon the clothing on his body vanished. His body didn't look too convincing graphically. Still, it was a naked boy's body, and it was exciting to her inexperienced mind. Soon Mike focused on the game again and he looked down. [I can't believe I did that... I've never been able to do that with anyone else.]  
  
[It's a game remember.] Robin reminded him. [Just a moment.] Robin turned her attention to her physical body and quickly pulled off her nightgown and underwear before turning back to the computer images. Mike was staring at her in astonishment. He stared so hard she began to blush, even though she knew it wasn't really her body.  
  
[Can I... touch it?] Mike asked. Robin blushed deeper, but gave him a slight nod. They moved closer together in experimentation, set free by the promise of a consequence-free world. Robin was so enthralled by the whole experience that she only barely noticed when she door to Mike's computer was opened while his hand was down between her legs.  
  
[Huh...?] She looked quickly, to see Blossom's head sticking through a crack in the door. [BLOSSOM!] She covered herself quickly, even though it wasn't her body. Mike did the same, turning as red as an apple. [Blossom please... I... we... I can explain...] Robin stuttered. To her surprise Blossom didn't respond. She merely stared at them. Suddenly a crooked grin broke out over her face. [Blossom...?]  
  
Blossom's hair hung around her head in a wild tangle, framing her face in what almost looked like a hood. As they watched Blossom pulled back and left, leaving them alone in the computer index. [What... happened?] Mike asked. [That was Blossom right? I know it was but... what was she doing?]  
  
[I don't know...] Robin was shaking by now, afraid of what would happen. She hoped Blossom would understand, she only wanted to experiment and play a game. That was all.  
  
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The next morning Blossom was pleased to realize that she hadn't had the dream again. It was a normal, everyday dream. And this was looking to be a normal, everyday day. She got dressed with her normal vigor, forgetting about Princess' ominous statement the other night. She was probably just trying to get under her skin.  
  
She pulled the bun out of her hair as she always did, letting it hand around her head neatly. They went downstairs to each breakfast like they did every day. They got their school supplies together, and flew across Townsville to Pokey Oaks Kindergarten. When they got there the other kids were murmuring excitedly among themselves. A few were snickering wildly while others were pale as ghosts. When they spotted Blossom some gave her the thumbs up and a grin, while others simply shook their heads blankly.  
  
"Am I missing something?" Blossom asked confusedly.  
  
"Maybe they want another show..." Bubbles suggested. She broke off from the trio and walked over to one of her friends on the corner of the playground.  
  
"Whatever, I'll see you later. Hey Mitch, rematch!" Buttercup ran across then playground to find Mitch, who was sitting in a corner grinning at Blossom. Blossom was started to get uncomfortable with this. She was used to standing out, but why was everyone acting so funny?  
  
She turned around when she heard footsteps behind her. Mike and Robin walked into the playground, both red-faced and embarrassed beyond belief. When they saw Blossom their blush grew brighter and they moved past her quickly. When they caught site of Mike and Robin the other kids started howling and whistling like cartoon characters.  
  
"Oh God..." Robin blushed even brighter than before, burying her face in her hands. Several kids surrounded her, including Mitch, who suddenly decided to ignore Buttercup. Mike was pushed out of the way, though a few kids did give him a pat on the back.  
  
"Hey Robin, I didn't know you were a slut." Mitch grinned. Robin shook her head and backed away, but being surrounded, had nowhere to go. "I thought they were only on TV and stuff. Oh well, it's good to know." He walked up to her and suddenly jammed his hand down the front of her shorts.  
  
Robin went ballistic. She screamed and tore away from him, punching through the crowd and running toward the building. She slammed into Miss Keane at the door, squeezing her legs tightly. "What's going on? Robin? Are you okay dear?" The teacher knelt down to give the frantic girl a hug.  
  
"Mitch... he..." Robin blushed brightly again and leaned up to whisper something in Miss Keane's ear.  
  
"MITCH MITCHELSON! GET OVER HERE!" Miss Keane screamed angrily. Blossom was taken aback by the sudden shift in behavior. She'd never seen Miss Keane scream before. Mitch as obviously cowed too, because his pace as he approached her was slow and halting. "Explain to me WHAT you think you were doing young man." Miss Keane demanded. She picked up Robin, holding her comfortingly.  
  
"I thought she would like it Miss Keane... she seemed to before..." Mitch ran his foot over the ground nervously.  
  
"Before? What are you talking about?" Miss Keane demanded.  
  
"Blossom e-mailed me a video of Robin and Mike doing it, and it looked like fun." Mitch replied. All eyes turned to Blossom and Mike, neither of whom gave any outward reaction other than utter shock. Mike soon turned toward Blossom with an upset glare.  
  
"Blossom how could you... I thought we were friends..." He muttered in anger and embarrassment. Blossom opened her mouth to plead her innocence, but Miss Keane interrupted.  
  
"Blossom Utonium, Mitch Mitchelson, and Mike Believe. Come inside this instant." She demanded. She was still holding Robin in her arms as Mike and Mitch filed inside. Blossom noticed a particularly disapproving look as she walked inside. Miss Keane closed the door behind them and approached her desk, sitting on the edge. "Blossom, go sit at your desk until I call for you."  
  
"Okay..." Blossom nodded and sat down at her desk, slumping over in her seat. She hadn't done anything, why would Mitch indicate her? Sure she didn't approve of Robin and Mike doing something like that, but she wouldn't humiliate them like this. The worst part was that everybody seemed absolutely sure it was her. As if there was some proof.  
  
Blossom sighed and looked at the corner of the room. Miss Keane's gift from Princess was still sitting in the corner of the classroom. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She didn't remember that computer incident happening again... but was it possible it happened and she just didn't remember? No way... she wouldn't do this either way... would she?  
  
"Blossom." Miss Keane called for her. She was still holding Robin, but the two boys had already been moved to the other side of the room. Blossom walked up to her demurely. Miss Keane's voice was calmer than it had been earlier, but her eyes were still sharp. "Now Blossom. What made you e-mail that video to every kid in class? What made you record it in the first place?"  
  
"I..." Blossom gulped, closing her eyes. "I... wanted to... teach them a lesson... it's not right for them to do that..." She sighed in resignation. Denying it would do no good, so she decided to get it over with.  
  
"I agree. But you should have come to ME with this, so I could talk with them. You handled the situation very inappropriately." Miss Keane chided her.  
  
"I'm sorry Miss Keane..." Blossom sighed. Miss Keane nodded and patted her head before turning back to the two boys in the corner.  
  
"Now I want you all to be on your best behavior, is that clear?" Mike, Mitch, and Blossom nodded. "Good, now go outside and play. Class will begin in a few minutes, after I get some things settled in here." She told them. The three kids nodded and left the classroom, heading outside with the rest of the students while Robin remained behind with the teacher.  
  
"Mike..." Blossom began, walking up to the boy. "You know I would never try to hurt you..." Mike ignored her and walked off in another direction quickly. His face was still beet red since he was still getting stares from the other kids in class. Blossom shook her head angrily. She was angry at the situation, and herself. She hadn't done anything... had she? There was only one way to find out.  
  
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"I don't know what you're hoping to prove Blossom." Buttercup quipped as she sat down at the computer in the Professor's lab after school. Blossom stood behind her chair, watching the monitor.  
  
"If you got the e-mail too, then we can see who it's from. Maybe everyone just thinks it's me because of a fake signature or something." Blossom told her. Buttercup shrugged and logged in, appearing on the monitor in a few moments. Blossom watched her walk into the door marked 'E-Mail.' Sure enough, there was an e-mail in the folder marked 'From Blossom Utonium'.  
  
[Looks real to me.] The computer animated Buttercup said with a slight smirk.  
  
"Open it and see if there's any clue as to who REALLY sent it. The Professor told me there's always a picture of the model it's sent from on these things, it has to be someone else's." Blossom said. Buttercup shrugged and opened the e-mail. It took over the monitor, displaying its contents for Blossom to see.  
  
In the body was a single line 'Looks like fun, eh?' which was followed by a small video of Robin and Mike on a couch in what looked like one of the computer's lobbies. In the 'From' category however, it had a clearly defined picture of Blossom's character model, wearing her typical nightgown.  
  
[Looks like you have a twin... besides me and Bubble I mean.] Buttercup commented as she closed the e-mail, once again coming onto the screen.  
  
"It's not possible..." Blossom gaped in despair. It WAS her... but she didn't remember doing it. "I wouldn't do something like that, it doesn't make sense..."  
  
"Looks like you, talks like you, who else could it be? Face it, you're in a pretty hairy situation here red." Buttercup commented as she signed off of the computer. Blossom stared at her, then a realization kicked in.  
  
"The image... its hair was a mess! But I had my hair up in a bun last night so it wouldn't get messed up! Wouldn't the character model in the e-mail reflect my physical state at the time I sent it?" Blossom realized. Buttercup blinked, then put one hand to her chin in deep thought.  
  
"That is pretty weird... maybe it's because your thoughts were a mess or something? You thought you were asleep and didn't know you were doing it, so your hair in the computer was messed up?" Buttercup suggested. It wasn't too likely, and Blossom wasn't prepared to accept that she purposely hurt Mike and Robin, even if it was subconscious.  
  
"Someone else had to have sent that e-mail." Blossom declared. "And I have at least one idea who." Blossom said. "I'm going to go pay the little Princess a visit." Blossom turned to leave, but Buttercup followed behind her. "You don't have to come along."  
  
"Call me curious." Buttercup said. Blossom gave her a curious look, but Buttercup didn't elaborate further. Still, Blossom welcomed her help and support. At least someone believed that she was innocent. 


	2. Chapter 2

She peeked around the corner of the hallway, looking for enemies inside the room just beyond. She hefted her whip and ran into the room. Instantly hundreds of little spiders shot up from the ground, slithering towards her. She still managed to make it to a drop-off in the middle of the room and leap over the pit, slinging her whip to make it wrap around a pole just above it. The whip started to carry her across the chasm.  
  
"Princess!" A sudden yell startled her, and she let go of the whip reflexively. Princess cursed herself as her computer image slammed into the far wall and plunged into the hole.  
  
"What do you want?" She grumped through her real lips as she restarted the game.  
  
"I want to know what's going on. You know who sent that e-mail last night, don't you?" Blossom's voice demanded. Princess smirked as she entered the game from her last save point and walked down the hall.  
  
"Of course I do. Everyone knows, Blossom." Princess grinned. Without warning her consciousness was yanked from the computer and Buttercup lifted her from the seat. "Hey! This is assault! I could have you arrested! Unhand me this instant!" Princess screamed angrily.  
  
"You know something and you're going to tell us." Buttercup told her. "That's not a question!" She shook princess hard enough to make her head ache from all the movement.  
  
"Stooop iiiiiit!" Princess yelled. Finally Buttercup stopped shaking her, giving a moment to collect her scrambled thoughts. "I don't know what happened, but Blossom IS the one doing this. I've seen her several times in cyberspace since she appeared in my computer two nights ago. And I know she's been up to no good." She scowled.  
  
"That's a lie. I've only been on the computer once since that happened, the time I talked to you." Blossom exclaimed.  
  
"Are you calling me a liar?" Princess asked. She scoffed at the Powerpuff Girls' joint glare. "Oh whatever. Look, I really don't know all of what's going on. All I know is that someone who looks and talks like Blossom is wreaking havoc online." She glared at Blossom, smirking. "And if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck..."  
  
"Put her down Buttercup." Blossom said. Buttercup snorted and put Princess down, stepping away from her. "If I find out you're lying to me, I'll be back to haul you off to jail again."  
  
"You can't find anything on me. I didn't do anything." Princess smirked as she brushed off her clothing. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a game to complete." She turned back to her computer and sat down, sliding the visor over her head. She tuned out the Powerpuff Girls until they finally left.  
  
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"What do we do now? All we know is that Princess seems to think there's like another you online or something." Buttercup laughed. "I've always wondered how long it would be before the girl cracked up."  
  
"I'm going to go online." Blossom decided. Buttercup looked at her curiously.  
  
"You're not buying that crap are you? I mean come on. A fake Blossom terrorizing through the internet? Sounds like a cartoon or something." Buttercup commented.  
  
"What's the alternative Buttercup?" Blossom demanded. "That I'm doing all this? That my unconscious mind is trying to hurt all my friends while I sleep? I can't accept that, no matter how ridiculous this sounds!" Buttercup remained silent for the rest of the flight home. Once there Blossom floated into the bedroom and started changing into her nightgown.  
  
"What are you doing? It's only 2:00 in the afternoon." Buttercup asked.  
  
"The Blossom online is in my nightgown with messed up hair, so I want to go on and see if anyone recognizes me. Maybe if they think I'm her... or me... they'll tell me something about me... or her..." Blossom blinked, then pulled her nightgown on and yanked the bow out of her hair, ruffling it up as best she could. "How do I look?"  
  
"Grumpy." Buttercup smiled. Blossom smirked back.  
  
"Good enough." Blossom floated downstairs with Buttercup behind her and sat down at the computer. "Please, try not to let anyone interrupt me. I want to get to the bottom of this before anyone else is hurt." Buttercup nodded and Blossom put the headgear on. Instantly she was logged into the computer, staring at the door that led to the network.  
  
She went through it and traveled down the hallway toward the end, ignoring all the doors. This was simply a small network connecting all the Virtual Reality Computers in Townsville, which was a sizeable amount since it was a big prosperous city, but beyond it was the connection to the rest of the world. The internet, which looked very different from the inside.  
  
She walked out onto the electronic pathways that led into the darkness beyond. The darkness surrounding her was dotted with millions of brilliant white lights, each leading to another network, with each network containing hundreds more computer systems. This road led to a central system where people from every corner of the planet could converge. In other words, this was where the chat rooms went.  
  
She approached the large rooms and examined the headings. There were rooms for adults, young adults, senior citizens, new young adults, children, bisexuals, gays, lesbians, gays and lesbians, transgenders, fetishists, Christians, Wiccans, Jews, blacks, whites, hispanics, Asians, supremacists, muslims, hindus, native-americans, televangelists, single parents, gay parents, lesbian parents...  
  
She shook her head in astonishment. She had never realized there were so many different groups of people out there. Why did everyone on the planet need their own room? They were all still people right? She shook her head in confusion and just went in the room marked for children, since that was where she belonged, and likely where she would go if she came online without knowing it.  
  
Inside the room there were three other kids that were images like herself, but fifteen more that were screens with letters printed on them. Kids who hadn't gotten the Virtual Reality System yet, so were forced to use text-based chatting. As she walked in the three kids turned toward her to size her up. One of them grinned.  
  
"Hey, you're here. I was wondering when you would show up." One of the kids told her. Blossom cocked her head curious and approached him.  
  
"You were expecting me? How?" Blossom demanded.  
  
"You told me to. Duh." The boy laughed, shaking his head. "You're not actually going to make me give you that message though are you? I mean, you know it, why should I have to tell you?"  
  
"Go ahead and tell me." Blossom gulped. She was confused beyond belief, but she didn't want to let it show. If he found out she wasn't who he thought she was, she could be in trouble. Yet she could very well be who he thought she was and not know it...  
  
The boy groaned and rolled his eyes before clearing his throat. "Okay. 'You're feeling good about the deeds you've done and the revenge you've wrought.'" The boy smirked. "What does 'wrought' mean anyway?" He asked confusedly. Blossom gulped and shook her head, backing away from him. "Hey, is something wrong? You told me to tell you!"  
  
"I'm sorry... I should go!" Blossom turned to run back out of the room, charging back toward her computer system. She didn't know why she was running, but something was freaking her out about all this. The message talked about revenge... and Mike and Robin had been humiliated just two days after Robin had accidentally caught her dress on fire with a magnifying glass. She'd blown it out with her ice-breath, but that made the fabric brittle and the entire dress had shattered.  
  
Sure she was angry at having to make her way home half-naked, but she wouldn't seek revenge... yet how could the person who left the message know? She and Robin had been alone at the time. Only they knew what Robin did. Nobody else could have known...  
  
As she pulled out of the computer and set the helmet on the table Buttercup watched her carefully. "So? What's going on Blossom?" Buttercup asked. Blossom looked up at her, not sure what to say. There was only one explanation for this. She had to be responsible somehow.  
  
"Buttercup... I need you to do me a favor." Blossom said. Buttercup cocked her head to the side, listening.  
  
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"Are you sure about this Blossom? It doesn't seem a little... ridiculous to you?" Buttercup asked that night. Blossom was busy tying her feet to the bedpost to keep herself from moving during the night. Bubbles was already asleep on her side of the bed, but they could move and speak without waking her up thanks to their powers of hearing whispers and floating above the bed.  
  
"If I was the one who humiliated them somehow, I can't be allowed to do it again. The only way I could have done it is by sleepwalking downstairs, logging in, and sending the e-mail. Now tie my hands to the headboard." Blossom demanded. Buttercup sighed and complied, tying the rope around Blossom's wrists, then the headboard.  
  
Blossom pulled at the ropes to make sure they were secure. "Good. Now if we wake up in the morning and the ropes are broken and someone has been humiliated, we know who did it." She said. Buttercup rolled her eyes and floated to the center of the bed, lying down.  
  
"I really hope you know what you're doing red." Buttercup grumbled under her breath. Blossom closed her eyes, secretly hoping she knew what she was doing too.  
  
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Miss Keane sipped her cup of tea and plopped herself in front of the fireplace. The fire crackled and glowed with orange and red colors. The heat felt wonderful on her bare skin, and she gave a soft sigh. She loved staying up late into the night, wearing her bathrobe and just taking in the silence after dealing with twenty screaming kids.   
  
She thought she heard something outside the front door, but she passed it off as her imagination. She took a sip of her tea, letting it calm her constantly frayed nerves. She heard another sound near the front door. She tried to ignore it, but it kept coming again and again.  
  
Irritably Miss Keane stood up and approached the front door, listening for it to come again. She didn't think it would be a burglar; Townsville was the safest city in the world. She gripped the door handle and slowly swung it open. Without warning a swarm of cops flooded in, several grabbing her by the arms. "Hey, what is this!?" Miss Keane yelped.  
  
"Kimberly Keane, you are under arrest for the possession of child pornography." One of the officers told her. Miss Keane stared at him stunned, until she finally realized what must have happened. Blossom must have sent HER the movie of Robin and Mike too, but she hadn't thought to check her e-mail and delete it. So they thought she wanted to collect it. Though that still begged the question, how did they know it was there? It's still illegal to monitor e-mails without reasonable cause.  
  
At the moment though, that was the least of her worries. "No, wait you have it wrong!" She pleaded, but the cops didn't pay any attention.  
  
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." The cop continued. Miss Keane didn't struggle or complain anymore, there would be no point. She really was innocent. Someone would listen to her and release her soon. She had to believe that the justice system in Townsville actually worked...  
  
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Blossom woke up the next morning with a groan, trying to stretch. Her arms and legs were still tied to the bed though, so she couldn't stretch very much. She stared at the ropes until she finally remembered why she was tied down. Realizing this meant nothing had happened, she used her heat-vision to cut off the ropes and stood up.  
  
Her joints were aching from remaining in such awkward positions all night, but she still felt good. The ropes were unbroken, so she hadn't done anything to hurt anyone else. She went downstairs to find the Professor setting breakfast out on the table. "Good morning Professor."  
  
"Good morning Blossom." The Professor smiled, then looked up at her. His smile faded when he saw her. "Are you okay? You don't look too good." Blossom realized she must look frightful. She hadn't slept much and she was still moving stiffly from being tied to the bed.  
  
"I'm fine, just... a nightmare." Blossom sat down in front of a bowl and started eating. The Professor didn't look convinced, but he let the topic slide. Soon however there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Who could that be?" The Professor went into the living room, where Blossom heard the door open. She could hear the ensuing conversation thanks to her hypersensitive hearing. "Oh, good morning officer. Is there a problem?" The Professor asked.  
  
"I'd like to speak with Blossom if you don't mind, Professor." The cop said. Blossom froze in mid-bite, listening intently.  
  
"Of course, she's in the dining room." Blossom listened to two pairs of footsteps as they made their way to the dining room. The police officer approached her with a somber look on his face.  
  
"Blossom..." He knelt down beside her. "I know how hard it must have been to send that e-mail last night." Blossom stared at him in shock. Another e-mail!? That was impossible. She was tied up all night, she couldn't have possibly gotten to the computer and sent anything. "If you need someone to talk to, we have lots of people who would be willing to listen."  
  
Blossom was shaking as she gulped down the bite still in her mouth. Before she could speak, the Professor did. "What are you talking about?" The Professor asked, looking back and forth between Blossom and the officer. "Is there something I should know?" He asked.  
  
The officer sighed and stood up, facing the Professor. "It seems that Miss Keane has had a fixation on Blossom. Last night your daughter sent us an e-mail of pictures Miss Keane took of her... even a video she took of two other students." The Professor's jaw dropped, and Blossom went deathly pale. "We arrested her last night. I just wanted to make sure Blossom was okay."  
  
"Dear God... not Miss Keane. I never would have thought..." The Professor knelt down beside Blossom. "Are you alright Blossom? I'm so sorry..." He wrapped his arms around her tightly.  
  
"I... I... I should... go wake up Buttercup and Bubbles..." Blossom stuttered before she streaked out of his arms and went upstairs. She was still shaking like a leaf as she grabbed Buttercup's shoulder. "Buttercup... it... it happened again! We have to do something!"  
  
Buttercup groaned and opened one eye. "What... were the ropes broken when you woke up?" She asked. Blossom explained everything that the police officer had told her downstairs. "Pictures of you? Freaky... did Miss Keane ever take any pictures of you?"  
  
"No, of course not!" Blossom yelled. "But I got mad at her yesterday for chiding me when she thought I sent the e-mails... oh man what have I done!" She was nearly in tears, shaking and rambling like a madman. "I must have remotely linked up to the computer somehow, and made the pictures, and sent them to the cops along with the video of Mike and Robin! I sent Miss Keane to prison!"  
  
"Snap out of it!" Buttercup slapped her across the face to get her attention. "First thing's first, we have to find out if it's really you in those pictures. So we need those pictures." Buttercup said. Blossom stared at her, then gulped and nodded, finally calming down enough to think straight.  
  
"Okay... if I sent them, they should still be in my Sent box..." Blossom led the way down to the Professor's lab and sat down at the computer. She logged in and went into her mailbox. There were two Sent mails. One was addressed to many names, everyone in class, and the other was addressed to the Townsville Police Department.  
  
"Open one." Buttercup said. Blossom gulped and touched the second e-mail, letting it open. A box popped up saying 'Do you want to display the attachments?' Blossom hesitated. "Come on, we have to know." Buttercup prodded. Blossom took a deep breath and tapped 'Yes'.  
  
An entire library of picture appeared, almost all of them pictures of Blossom nude, in various lewd poses. It almost made her sick to look at them, and she knew they were fake. It was no wonder they locked up the supposed perpetrator the night they found out about this.  
  
[They look genuine to me...] Blossom said. [I must have set her up last night... and look, my hair's messed up like before. That really must be a sign that I'm doing it in my sleep...]  
  
"Wait a minute..." Buttercup said. "Print one out and logoff so I can get on."  
  
[What good would that do?] Blossom asked.  
  
"Come on already." Buttercup demanded. Blossom shrugged and picked one of the less stomach churning ones to print out. She logged out afterward and let Buttercup hop on. Buttercup went into her mailbox and printed out the image of the Sender on the class wide e-mail. "I thought so, look at this." Buttercup printed out the e-mail and logged off.  
  
"What am I looking at?" Blossom asked. Buttercup grabbed both pictures and held them close to each other.  
  
"The hair, look." Buttercup moved over to Blossom and showed them to her. She didn't see what was so special, it was messed up in both pictures. They agreed that was a sign of her sleepwalking the other night. Actually now that Blossom was paying close attention, something did seem odd... "If the messed up hair IS a sign of scrambled brainwaves, then why is it identical in both pictures? Shouldn't it be different each time?"  
  
Blossom now realized she was right. Every clump, strand of hair was in the exact same place in both pictures. "That means... there's only one character model doing this." Blossom took the pictures from her sister. "Mine is different each time but this one stays the same."  
  
"So it can't possibly be you." Buttercup told her. "Of course that asks the question, who is it?"  
  
"This all started when I used Princess' stupid computer... the answer has to be in there somewhere." Blossom sat down at the computer again. "I'm going to end this. I'm going to break into her computer while she's at school. I'm sure the Professor won't mind, since he's sure I'm an emotional wreck over all the manipulation."  
  
"Isn't breaking into someone else's computer illegal?" Buttercup asked.  
  
"It's better than letting whatever's going on continue." Blossom placed the helmet on her head and logged back into her account. She immediately went for the 'Network' door and walked toward Princess' computer.  
  
She grabbed the handle, but it was locked. Apparently it automatically locked itself when nobody was using it. Blossom smirked and pulled back a moment before slamming herself into the door. She broke right through, stumbling into the lobby of Princess' computer system. A piercing red light came on from the ceiling, almost blinding her. An alarm no doubt. She hoped nobody was home at Morebucks manor.  
  
She moved quickly toward the 'Data Files' door and went through, looking around. There was another set of doors, each labeled with a different kind of file. She had no clue what she was looking for, but it had to be around here somewhere. Maybe in the System Files...  
  
She moved toward the door, then stopped and whirled when she heard something behind her. She leapt in the air to avoid a mass of liquid that flowed right under her. But instead of continuing on, it stopped and formed into a large, humanlike shape. An anti-virus program... she should have known Princess' system would have security measures.  
  
It swung one huge fist at her, but she dove down to the ground and flew between the creature's legs, trying to reach the 'System Files' door. The program was faster than she anticipated. It whirled and slammed one fist into her, sending her hurtling into the 'Backup Files' door instead. The door shattered and she went flying to the ground just inside.  
  
She groaned and rose to her knees, hearing the liquid behemoth right behind her. She leapt forward, bouncing off the wall and flying back into the program's head. She gave it a mighty kick, sending it flying back into the hallway. It burst into a pool of liquid on contact, flowing through the hallway in two different direction. It would be awhile before it could come after her again.  
  
Blossom sighed and turned to look around at the files. 'beach~1.exe', 'indi.exe' 'bat.exe'. She puzzled over the filenames until she realized what they were. Princess said in class that the computer saved all files as backups if the computer was shut down unexpectedly. This must be where the files are backed up. Wait a minute...  
  
She searched through the long list of files. Apparently Princess wasn't very good about shutting down her computer properly to have accumulated this much junk in the last two days. Finally she found what she was looking for, 'bloss.exe'.  
  
[A backup file of me...] Blossom mused. [Of course... The Professor said the network wasn't configured to support our minds as users... so it saw me as a program. That night, my program must have still been running when Princess was on, it just sucked me in when my waking consciousness stopped and my dreaming kicked in.]  
  
[And when she shut down her computer with you... the program... still active. It created a backup.] Blossom whirled around, seeing the other Blossom standing behind her, grinning. [Me.]  
  
[But if you're a backup of me, then you should have my mind. And I would never hurt those I love, no matter what they did to me.] Blossom declared.  
  
[If someone hurts you, you hurt them back. It's the way life is.] The copy said slyly. Blossom stared at her a moment, then started chuckling.  
  
[Of course. You're a computer file, not me. And there's one thing a computer could never copy. My love for my friends.] Blossom said, letting all the pieces fit into place. Everything made sense now, and she was reassured what she wasn't unconsciously hurting her friends. [Now move aside, so I can correct this problem.]  
  
[And let you delete me? Fat chance.] The copy grinned. [Besides, there's one other difference between us. I belong in this system. You do not.] Blossom blinked, then slowly turned around to see that the anti-virus creature had already reformed and was moving toward her. A quick glance at the Blossom copy showed that she was ready for a fight too. Blossom backed into a wall, not wanting to take on both opponents at once on her own.  
  
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"Blossom! Come on! Wake up!" Buttercup shook her sister violently, trying to snap her out of it. For some reason though she didn't respond, it was like she couldn't even hear her. A quick glance at the monitor showed Blossom trying to fight both her copy and the water-thing, but she wasn't faring too well by herself. "Why can't she hear me? Professor!" Buttercup streaked upstairs.  
  
She found the Professor in the living room with Bubbles. They were both eating cereal." Professor, I think Blossom's in trouble! Come on!" Buttercup yelled. The Professor looked surprised, but wasted no time in running downstairs to the lab. "I can't get her to respond to me! It's like she's completely absorbed into the computer!"  
  
"What...?" the Professor walked up behind Blossom, staring at the monitor. "Buttercup, tell me what's going on right now." The Professor demanded. Buttercup sighed and told him everything she'd heard. About Blossom going into Princesses computer the first day. About the dream Blossom had that night. About all the strange happenings over the last two days and everything she had heard Blossom say on the monitor.  
  
"Why can't she hear us Professor?" Buttercup asked. The Professor knelt down and examined Blossom, trying various things to get her attention. She didn't seem to notice any of it.  
  
"It looks like she's so deeply inside the network that all her consciousness is focused on the system." He shook his head. "Why didn't we account for this? The further you stretch someone's consciousness over this kind of space the deeper they'll be pulled in. We were so stupid!" He yelled.  
  
"So... she's stuck?" Bubbles asked worriedly.  
  
"Kind of... unless she can get close enough to the home computer to let her reestablish a connection with her body. But I don't know how we can help her." He watched the monitor, which was depicting Blossom struggling in vain against both assailants at once. "It's like she's trapped inside a dream and we can't wake her up."  
  
Buttercup's eyes snapped open and she looked up at the Professor. "A dream... Professor we can help her!" She yelled excitedly. Bubbles and the Professor turned toward her curiously. "We've done it twice! We can travel into each others' dreams! Maybe me and Bubbles can go into Blossom's, if it really IS like a dream!"  
  
"Hey yeah! We can do that! We just have to be sleeping!" Bubbles agreed.  
  
"Well... It's not EXACTLY like a dream..." The Professor mused.  
  
"Come on! What could it hurt to try? If it doesn't work, we sleep for a while and wake up. If it does, we can save Blossom!" Buttercup shouted. The Professor nodded and stood up.  
  
"Come on, let's get you two ready." He led them to a pair of steel tables on the other side of the room. Buttercup laid down on her table, trying to calm herself down. She wouldn't let Blossom face those things alone.  
  
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Just when Blossom thought she was getting the upper hand on the copy, the anti-virus monster came up behind her and smashed her into the wall. She was battered, bruised, and bleeding in several places. Which was odd, because she hasn't known the computer simulated these things. She supposed IT would for realism in video games and such, but she hadn't expected the pain to come with them.  
  
[I don't need this! I can leave any time!] Blossom exclaimed. She tried to take off the helmet... but she didn't feel anything. She couldn't feel her body anymore. [What...?]  
  
[You're in too deep now.] The copy grinned, flexing its muscles. [The only way out is through us.] She flung herself at Blossom, colliding with her in mid-air. Blossom whirled, trying to throw her at the anti-virus monster, but the copy held on to her hands and used the momentum to slam Blossom into the ground. The monster stomped toward her, but she managed to roll out of the way and lean up against the wall.  
  
[You can't fight us both on your own.] The copy exclaimed victoriously. [Admit that you wanted to see them fall as much as I did. They humiliated you and hurt you!]  
  
Blossom growled, pushing herself up from the wall. [I won't... what you did is not right, no matter what the circumstances!] Blossom yelled. Suddenly she felt something in the back of her mind. Two yells that seemed apart from herself, yet very familiar.  
  
[We're here Blossom!] Bubbles yelled in her mind.  
  
[Let's kick some butt!] Buttercup agreed.   
  
[Bubbles... Buttercup...] Blossom looked down as her dress began to change. The computer was trying to find a physical interpretation fitting of the three combined minds. Blue, pink, and green swirled around the dress like a living tie-dye, but soon they began to meld together. Her dress turned bright silver, with her eyes following suit. Her hair bow vanished and her hair was set free about her back, extending in length. It too turned bright silver.  
  
[Come on.] The unified Powerpuff Girls grinned in challenge. The copy growled and lunged toward her, but Blossom managed to dodge and block every blow. The anti-virus came up behind her, but Bubbles senses it before it could strike them, and Blossom dodged it. Neither the copy nor the program could lay a finger on her now. It wasn't that she'd gotten stronger, the increased awareness brought by her sisters let her sense the movements of both opponents at all times. That gave her the key advantage.  
  
She ducked under the swing of the anti-virus and kicked the copy in the stomach, whirling in time to catch the monster's arm on the backswing and tear it in half, sending a wave of water flying against the wall. She whirled and deflected a kick from the fake Blossom with enough force to send her spinning away, then whirled and met a punch from the monster's other arm with her own, which tore into the liquid barrier.  
  
She lunged forward into the monster, sending pieces of liquid flying every which way. Buttercup sensed the copy coming up behind her, so Blossom whirled and blocked the punches that were thrown at her. Their arms flew in an invisible pattern of strikes, but Blossom won out in the end, flinging the copy against the ground with enough force to put a dent in it.  
  
Bubbles felt the anti-virus coming up behind her again, so she whirled and whipped her leg out. The kick slammed into its stomach, sending it flying back into the hallway. It slammed into the ground hard enough to burst into a pool of water. This time, it didn't seem to be reforming. Puddles littered the rooms, each disconnected from the others.  
  
Blossom turned back to her copy, then floated toward the file with her name on it. [You do it... and you'll go back to taking all the crap they do to you.] The copy pushed herself to her knees, staring at Blossom intently. [You won't get any revenge... they will walk all over you again. And you'll sit back and let it happen.]  
  
Blossom smirked. [I don't need you.] She reached out and tapped the file name. A menu appeared listing options. She pressed 'Delete' and one more box appeared, 'Are you sure?' Blossom looked back at the copy, then smirked and pressed 'Yes.'  
  
[Rrgh...] The copy growled as her body began to vanish, becoming little more than a string of ones and zeroes that were pulled back into the system. [You... weak... little...] Was all she was able to say before her body vanished completely.  
  
Blossom smiled, turning to head back toward her own computer system so she could log out. She couldn't wait to get out of here and relax without having to worry about ruining her friends' reputations.  
  
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It took several days before they convinced the police department to let Miss Keane out of prison. The Townsville Police Department wasn't keen on believing their story, but the Mayor wasn't about to let their wish go unheeded. At the same time the Professor proposed that the virtual reality systems be recalled and destroyed, since the dangers inherent in them had become apparent.  
  
This really ticked off Princess Morebucks, who didn't want them to take away her precious new piece of hardware. She had time to realize that Blossom had broken into her computer, but didn't have time to prove it before the computers were recalled. So she was given yet another reason to hate the Powerpuff Girls. As if the girls cared what Princess thought anyway.  
  
Still, after everything was calm and settled, with Miss Keane back at work with the incident wiped off her record, and Princess still hating the Powerpuff Girls, there was one more loose end Blossom wanted to tie up.  
  
"Please Robin, you've got to believe me!" Blossom begged as Robin walked from the schoolroom to the swings on the other side of the playground. "I would never do that to you... or Mike. It wasn't my fault, it was..." Blossom trailed off when Robin kept ignoring her. She slumped her shoulder, still floating in pace with her friend.  
  
"Okay... it was my fault I guess... if I'd never tried that stupid computer before I was allowed... or maybe if I told the Professor I did it before the copy started lashing out..." She grabbed Robin's hand, making her look at her. "I'm really sorry Robin. I was stupid... but I promise it will never happen again." Robin stared at her for a few moments, then sighed.  
  
"I guess it was just a bit surprising... that's all." Robin admitted. "I never expected to see you there... with that evil look on your face. I... thought you hated me for some reason."  
  
"No way, you're still my best friend in the world." Blossom told her sincerely. Robin smiled and pulled her into a big hug.  
  
"You're my best friend too." They pulled away from each other and walked toward the swings again. The air this time was more companionable, and everything seemed to be okay. Still, there was one more thing Blossom was curious about.  
  
"What was it like?" Blossom blushed. Robin looked at her curiously. "You know... with Mike." She said. Robin blinked, then started giggling uncontrollably. So Blossom go an earful on what it felt like, and got a good feeling in her heart. Everything was back the way it should be. She just hoped next time the Professor helped invent something, it wouldn't try to hurt everybody.  
  
THE END  
  
Special thanks to Marquis Elmdor for the idea and the incentive to do it. 


End file.
